BALTIMORE — A new variation of job scams is targeting freelancers, and it could cost workers thousands of dollars before they realize they've been duped.
Like other job scams, this scheme involves a fake check. But what makes it particularly tricky is that the scammer provides a convincing reason for why the victim needs to send part of the money back. If someone does that before the check clears, that money comes straight out of their pocket.
Wendy Meyeroff, a seasoned writer who supports her semi-retirement with freelance work, nearly fell victim to this scam.
"I'm the ghost writer who grabs attention in books and corporate marketing," Meyeroff said.
When Meyeroff received a request for a new project from someone named Joan, she thought she could handle it easily.
"It's a lady named Joan who said she was doing a couple of webinars. And as I say, this is mid-July. She doesn't need material until the middle of August. So that's a decent timeline," she recalled.
She added that it's standard practice to get paid in thirds — upfront, after the first draft, and when the project is final. But Joan offered to pay in full.
"She said her sponsor wanted to submit the entire fee up front. I wasn't going to argue with her," Meyeroff said.
Joan signed the contract, but when payment was late, Meyeroff reached out to her colleagues at the Editorial Freelancers Association.
"And almost instantly, I get back messages from two people saying, be very careful. There's a scam going on where they deliver the whole fee up front and then they suddenly need half of it back," Meyeroff recounted.
A few days later, Meyeroff received the check and deposited it. Then the situation played out exactly as her colleagues had predicted.
"When I opened Joan's messages, there's a new one, and it's subject is something like 'change of plans.' And guess what, Mallory? They had to destroy half the project and get half their payment back," Meyeroff said.
The scammers demanded she send a money order with overnight delivery.
"It's not going back to Joan, my client. It's not going back to the address I saw, I still had the priority mail envelope, which is in Atlanta somewhere. It's not going back to the sender on the check. I mean, it's going to somebody with a really strange, long, foreign name, and they're in an apartment in Massachusetts," she noted.
This experienced writer wasn't about to become a cautionary tale.
"I said, nope, I don't think this is correct here," Meyeroff said. "Tuesday morning, I double checked the bank once again and I have $0 in my checking account."
She went to her bank, who confirmed the check didn't clear.
"You know, as freelancers without a steady paycheck, you're counting on every dollar," Meyeroff said.
While Meyeroff didn't lose money, she had to move funds around. And it struck her that she could have fallen for this scam if her colleagues hadn't warned her.
"It seemed like a very sensible project. She sent me great outlines. They were easy topics," Meyeroff said. "Almost got snookered, but not quite there."
The Better Business Bureau warns this scam is targeting all kinds of side hustles. Before taking on any client, experts recommend asking lots of questions, looking up their social media accounts, and insisting on a video call. Click here for more warning signs.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.